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Gender Equality Employment Promoting for Decent

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Gender Equality for Decent Employment (GE4DE) is an ILO project funded by the Department for Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD), Government of Canada. The project aims at providing women greater access to equal employment opportunities and decent working condition in selected economic sectors, and improving stakeholders’ understanding of women’s issues in the worldof work.

Title cover photograph's credits“Happiness in my eyes” by Ghulam Rasool, a freelance photographer, one of the winning entries in GE4DE’s Photography Competition 2010.

Editorial TeamFrida Khan, National Project Coordinator, GE4DEHiba Siddiqui, Programme Officer, GE4DEShazia Amjad, Consultant, GE4DE

Design & ProductionHina Nur, Communications ProfessionalEmail: [email protected]

FeedbackEmail: [email protected] [email protected]: @ge4deFacebook Page: GE4DE

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As the project moves into its last year, our focus moves

towards what might be known as the holy grail of the

development world: ensuring sustainability.

Sustainability can take many forms. In terms of benefits, are

they recurring? In terms of our partners, has their institutional

capacity been developed? In terms of our efforts, have they

been institutionalized?

We have tried to gauge our work across these parameters and

happily, the results are promising. In skills development for

example, a majority of people trained under the project have

gone on to find productive work and many amongst them have

progressed in their careers or expanded their businesses and

reached new markets. Their incomes are helping provide food,

medicine, schooling and savings for their families.

Several of the implementing partners we worked with are

continuing to use the materials developed under the project

and the different mobilization, training and post training

approaches they learned to use, such as Pakistan Readymade

Garments Technical Training Institute that is using the

GE4DE developed garments courses to train thousands of

women and men under the Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Youth

Development Programme.

Some of the materials developed, such as competency

standards, have found permanent ownership in the National

Vocational and Technical Training Commission's national

reform programme. And we continue to provide inputs based

on our learning, especially regarding gender and employment,

to other national processes such as reforming apprenticeship

training, preventing workplace harassment and providing

childcare, which would have wide-reaching benefits for

gender equality in the workplace.

In our work with government, several initiatives are being

made a formal part of the way things are done. For example, a

gender responsive labour inspection toolkit developed by the

Gender Units, which also won international recognition and

the UN Public Service Award for 2013, is being notified by

the government as being a mandatory part of the labour

inspection process as well as labour inspectors' training.

Similarly, gender mainstreaming checklists to develop and

review project proposals, policy documents and such, are also

in the process of being notified for regular use.

GE4DE has been instrumental in policy and law development

for home-based workers and is now helping provincial

governments with policy for domestic workers. The Gender

Note from the TeamNews

Units are participating in ongoing labour workplace harassment and the provision of

law review and ensuring that gender is transport and separate toilets. A lot of

mainstreamed as the provinces review and these changes have been lobbied for by

amend previously federal labour laws. One women and men from trade unions who

result of this work is that for the first time have received GE4DE leadership and

ever, agriculture and fishery sector workers paralegal training. Several journalists

in Sindh have been recognized by law as trained by the project are emerging as the

being workers, and the first Agriculture best and the most recognized labour

sector trade union is being registered with reporters in Pakistan, and are bringing a

the Department of Labour Sindh. gender perspective to their reporting.

And there are countless stories of These results show that many GE4DE

individuals making a difference, stories of initiatives have indeed taken root. We now

the sum being greater than the parts. hope they continue to get the attention

Many employers that have been involved and nourishment they need to grow and

with the project have introduced practices flourish and continue to benefit future

that promote gender equality and the generations of women, men, girls and

safety and security of women in the boys.

workplace, such as strategies to prevent

The GE4DE Team

GE4DE is a 6 year programme (2010- implementing quality standards for the 2016) funded by the Canadian government government's Punjab Daycare Fund and and implemented by the ILO Office in also in a programme to train and organize Pakistan to improve gender mainstreaming domestic workers in line with labour in the world of work. It aims at standards. accomplishing the following outcomes:

Workers' organisations are promoting ØPakistani women have greater gender equality in their structures and

access to equal employment work through training on promoting opportunities and decent working women's leadership and paralegal skills. conditions in selected economic Many women are showing excellent sectors; and progress. One woman from WAPDA Multan

who received this training not only ØStakeholders have increased managed to get transport for women in her understanding of and favourable firm but also a 20% 'HQ allowance' that attitudes towards working women's all headquarters' workers were entitled to issues.by law, and then went on to successfully arrange a regular supply of water tankers in her community, a gas connection and a small park. Trainees have been involved in advocacy that resulted in lady health care

The provincial governments have workers being made permanent established Gender Units, with trained government employees in Punjab, and staff, in all five provincial Departments of forming unions in sectors where they did Labour. They are leading work on gender not exist before, namely fishing and responsive labour inspection, gender agriculture, and domestic workers.responsive budgeting and project development. In some provinces, women Employers' organizations are working with have been recruited in the Departments of the project to conduct research on gender Labour for the first time, including as equality practices in the workplace and labour inspectors. The Gender Unit Punjab replicating good practices. More than 70 recently won the 2013 international UN advocacy sessions have been held on Public Service Award for gender responsive promoting gender equality measures and service delivery. Labour laws are being feedback shows that more than 80 percent reviewed to mainstream decent work and of participating employers are recruiting gender, and for the first time, the more women to a wider range of jobs, government of Sindh has extended labour acting seriously against sexual harassment laws to agriculture and fishery sector and providing support facilities. Advocacy workers. is underway to mainstream gender in

business schools' curricula.The Federal Ombudsperson's Office against Workplace Harassment has established an online complaints and SMS based tracking system and have seen an

Over 5000 men and women from urban increase in the number of cases registered and rural areas have been trained in 5 and improvement in the redressal process. districts of Pakistan with over 80% getting Two provinces, Sindh and Punjab, have employment in the fields of hospitality, drafted policies for home-based workers, textiles, sewing, weaving and high-end due to be approved by their Cabinets, and embroidery. One third of the trainees have awareness on the issue has substantially been given additional, focused support for improved. entrepreneurship development and all of

The project is supporting the Women's them are using those skills to establish Development Department, Punjab, in small businesses in their communities.

Objective 1: Strengthening national mechanisms to promote equal opportunities for women.

Objective 2: Enhancing skills and employability of poor women.

About GE4DEFebruary 2015 About GE4DE 4

Endline studies show that most women whereby master trainers have been trained have access to and control over their and have provided extension services to income, and are spending on education for more than 1400 female cotton pickers in their siblings, children or even themselves, South Punjab.contributing to household expenditures including food and health, and that this has given them a better position in their families and communities. Some remarkable successes have emerged, such

150 policy level representatives from as Abida, a hospitality trainee, who is various media groups in Pakistan, have working for one of the best known food signed a declaration committing to chains in Pakistan and is also advising promote gender responsive reporting. 800 Punjab TEVTA on the development of journalists from print and electronic media hospitality curricula, or Salma Rahim, a from over 30 districts in Pakistan, have young divorcee from rural Rahimyar Khan, been trained in Gender Responsive who won the Shell Tameer social Reporting using a module that some entrepreneurship award and is now universities are now interested in using in running her own community bridal their regular Mass Communications embroidery business, taking orders from courses. well-known designers in Karachi.

Advocacy is underway. There has been a All training has been done using ILO's marked increase in reporting on women TREE (Training for Rural Economic and work, and those written by GE4DE Empowerment) methodology, which trained journalists show that they are provides competency based, gender increasingly applying their skills. PTV mainstreamed, pre-training, training and journalists for example, have managed to post-training support. The project has secure funding for a series of programmes trained local experts to develop several specifically on women and work. Other industry specific competency standards, journalists are emerging as leading labour including garment manufacturing and reporters and have gone on to win awards beauty, which are being used in the for their reporting. national TVET reform programme, helping

to introduce competency based training The first Journalism Awards were held in and assessment to the national system. 2013 to mark successes in gender Competency standards for cotton growing responsive reporting. The second have provided the basis for a large textiles Journalism Awards will be held in early reform programme, Cleaner Cotton, 2015.

Objective 3: Strengthening capacity of media to raise awareness on issues related to working women.

Enhancing skills and employability of women

February 2015 About GE4DE 5

Photo Credits: Abdul Qadir Memon

Contents

Cover Story8 GE4DE Celebrates Talent!

Picture

Showcasing the hidden talents of featured artisans from eight different areas of Pakistan, this fashion and hospitality extravaganza in Karachi surpassed all expectations.

Dresses, Accessories, Makeovers, Mosaic Tiles and Cuisine, all were presented in a spell-binding show.

Creative expression coming straight from Pakistan's under-privileged… Prepare to be wowed!

February 2015, Volume 6

Achievements14 Journalism Awards

18 A Step in the Right Direction

21 Sindh Parliamentarians visit Sialkot

Home-Based Workers

23 Home-based Workers' Associations

24 Skills in Action

Asma

Nadia

Salma

Sikander

36 Start & Improve Your Business

39 Students Mean Business

40 Decent Work for Domestic Workers

INFOGRAPHIC Gender @ Work44

Gender Responsive Society46 Journalism

Abida at Work

Women Weavers

Education 51

Business Curricula

Zero Tolerance for Workplace Harassment

54 Policy

Punjab Daycare Fund

Balancing Work and Home

Organising the Unorganised

58 Awareness

Design for Change

February 2015 Contents 7

Mid-Term Evaluation62 Findings

GE4DE's Celebration of Talent! If you can imagine it, you can do it!

Cover Story

Promoting Gender Equality for Decent Employment (GE4DE), a project implemented by the ILO with funding from the Canadian government, organised this show where everything featured some element of GE4DE skills development programmes.

So... Office Management trainees were responsible for the invitation cards, keeping track of confirmations and registration; the e-commerce and graphics design trainees helped with the brochure and invitation cards design; the culinary skills trainees prepared and served the food.

Four fashion collections were put together by trainees from garment manufacturing, embroidery and fashion design courses, using accessories and hand-woven material from trainees of the woollen shawl value chain and khaddar weaving projects.

Hair and makeup was done by girls trained by Masarrat Misbah and her team at Depilex for GE4DE and even the stage featured beautiful mosaic tiles made by women trained on marble mosaic products.

Shaiyanne Malik, well-known fashion designer and GE4DE implementing partner, designed and directed the show.

Preparations

February 2015 Cover Story 8

The rehearsal begins

Food before fashion

What am I doing here?You just do as you're told!

Don't think I'm not watching you

Checking the documentaries withHussain and his team

Not much fun

GE4DE's Celebration of Talent! And the show begins...


The trainees of Depilex Smile Again Foundation did the makeovers while the appetizers and drinks at the red carpet were served by graduates of the College of Tourism and Hotel Management. The ramp was decorated with beautiful marble mosaic pieces provided by Sohb Educational Welfare Society. The event was a success due to the attention paid to every detail, like the invitations and information packs which were designed by graduates of the Pakistan Institute of Human Rights, walnut souvenirs prepared by women from Naran and Kaghan, and the ushers trained by Sustainable Tourism Foundation Pakistan. Event management and coordination was done by the Vocational Training Institute, Buffer Zone, Karachi.

Behind the stage

Shaiyanne on Red Carpet

Lights. Camera. Action.

... And welcome to the show

The partners, women and men from all around Pakistan - Thatta, Karachi, Lasbela, Rahimyar Khan, Lahore, Naran, Charsadda and Skardu

Each ensemble was viewed after a two-minute documentary on its evolution; the purpose was to call the attention of the audience towards the handiwork done by amateurs. The title of each segment was taken from the acronym GE4DE to highlight ILO's commitment to women employment for decent work.

the first collection, included a series of silk, velvet and chiffon

gowns designed by the students of Fashion and Apparel Design and Training Institute (FADIN). The collection was a fusion of ethnic and modern designs with a bright and bold colour palette. Inspired by the mineral wealth of Pakistan, the fabric was dyed in jewel tones of ruby, emerald and amethyst. 'Empowerment' used hand-woven khaddar cloth made by students of Sarhad Rural Support Programme, was accessorized by handicraft pieces resembling turban-like headgear of the Kalash, and used embroidery and the cross-stitching unique to Gilgit-Baltistan.

''Empowerment',


The first collection, 'Empowerment' by FADIN, inspired by female warriors

The collection paid homage to Pakistan's

different regional cultures by using fabric printed with Urdu text, rickshaw and truck art, and also included prints depicting Pakistan's wildlife such as the Markhor. The collection spanned from saris to men's kurtas, created by Pakistan Knitwear Training Institute. The accessories carried by models included beautifully designed clutches and handbags created by the women at SUGHAR.

“Elements”


The second collection, 'Elements' by PKTI

featuring images from Pakistan, screen printed

onto knitted fabric

A knitted sari - the first of its kind!

Embroidered accessories by PDI

“Glamour” was the most unique and striking collection. It displayed a variety of jamawar

and denim dresses embellished with gota, brocade and floral embroidery. The motifs were a heady contemporary blend of East and West, and were designed by graduates of the Pakistan Readymade Garments Technical Training Institute. This collection was accessorised with hand woven shawls from Baltistan Cultural Development Foundation, and marble mosaic necklaces and belts from SOHB.


The third collection, 'elegance' featuring denims fused with traditional embroidery

Hand made woollen shawls and khaddar woven into the denim collection

The final and most impressive was the collection which was presented by the

artisans of Dera Jattan. Their bridal wear ensembles dazzled the audience. Models graced the ramp with stunning ghararas and cholis embellished with zardozi and sequin-work on chiffon, net and georgette. Menswear comprised of sherwanis and coats; the use of khussas and kohlapuris enhanced the Eastern influence. The remarkable success of the collection showed that ‘Samanzar Empowering Women’ programme which had trained Dera Jattan women in the craft of zardozi embroidery by taking craftsmen from Karachi, had made a huge impact on their lives and livelihoods.

“Dreams''


The bridal collection 'Dreams' from Dera Jattan, Rahimyar Khan

All hair and makeup by entrepreneurs trained by Depilex

Marble mosaic tiles set into the ramp and steps, made by Balochi women in Lasbela

Unwinding with Abida who prepared and served the canapes and cocktails. And planning the next show already ...In the end

All Photo Credits: Abdul Qadir Memon

This intervention focuses on Pakistani themselves, using to reshape .

journalists media public opinion about working women

“Women in Pakistan in particular are media sector reported on working women, portrayed by the media mainly in two to help reshape broader public opinion. major roles, either as sex objects or The training was followed by a competition housewives,” remarked Nida Fatima, the for the best stories on working women. first position holder of the ILO Journalism

GE4DE's work on Gender Responsive Awards for Gender Responsive Reporting. Reporting was the largest media As a reporter for Pakistan Television, Nida development project in terms of outreach Fatima Zaidi sees many of the country's to media practitioners in Pakistan's history. most pressing social problems. But for her, In partnership with Civic Action Resources one of the most difficult was also one of (CAR), almost 800 journalists from 41 the most personal – gender equality. districts in Pakistan were trained. The training included not only reporters, but sub-editors and news editors, to ensure that stories about working women were not just commissioned and written, but actually published.

To highlight some of these stories the project held the first Journalism Awards in January 2014. In the print media category, the first prize went to Aoun Sahi, second to Irfan Shaikh and third to Salma Soomro, while in the electronic media category, the first prize was clinched by Nida Fatima Zaidi, second by Quratul Ain Hashmi and the third jointly by Rabia Noor and Rubab Hussain.

Rabia had made a documentary on the life of a 70-year-old brick kiln worker while The expansion of the media industry and Rubab had made a two-minute news report its inability to report in a gender sensitive on a 10 year old girl child who left her way also caught the attention of Frida studies to help earn a living for her family. Khan, the National Project Coordinator of The girl works at Pir Wadai truck adda in ILO's Promoting Gender Equality for Rawalpindi and earns less than Rs.200 by Decent Employment (GE4DE) project, and cleaning used engine oil which otherwise the fact that so few journalists had goes to waste, and then selling it. received any formal training in reporting,

let alone how to report in a gender The winner of the second prize, Quratul responsive way. Ain Hashmi, had recorded a news story about an 80-year-old woman who had been GE4DE conducted training programmes for cooking and selling the same meal on a Pakistani journalists. The idea was to roadside for 40 years.change the way the rapidly expanding

“The working woman, the labourer, the career girl, the high academic achiever, the productive citizen contributing greatly to the economy through her skills is underrated, underreported and hardly celebrated. This undermines her identity as a labourer, skilled worker and a professional”.

AchievementsFebruary 2015 Achievements 14

ILO honours journalists to highlight issues

of Women's Economic Empowerment

ILO honours journalists to highlight issues

of Women's Economic Empowerment

Nida Fatima Zaidi of PTV won the first their articles in Sindhi. prize with her 20-minute documentary called 'Baysamar' meaning

Aoun Sahi's article, .

in The News on Sunday,

highlighted the range of issues women The documentary was aired on Labour Day face in the workplace and the importance and focuses on the economic contribution of ensuring accurate representation of of women, and the fact that it goes women in data collection.unrecognized and unrewarded.

Mohammad Irfan Shaikh of Diyanat Daily, Within the print media category, one winner of the second prize, wrote of the winner was from an English national daily tribulations of women working in the date while the two others were recognised for

“Gender “unrewarded” Disparities”

L-R: Frida Khan, Moneeza Hashmi, Iqbal Khattak

February 2015 Achievements 15

markets in Sukkur, where he highlighted the winning features at the ceremony.that they work more and get paid less

Moneeza Hashmi introduced the than the men.electronic media clips that were

Salma Soomro, wrote an article in Sindhi recognized for highlighting core issues in women's economic status and titledempowerment, and mentioned the merits

meaning of each of the winning submissions.

which Sherry Rehman congratulated all the is a story of brick kiln women workers who winners. While appreciating the efforts of face gender discrimination and the ILO, she said that equality, economic exploitation at work. and otherwise, are integral to creating an

empowered and progressive Pakistan.The chief guest at the ceremony was Ms. Sherry Rehman, Pakistan's former She said, 'In today's world, there is no Ambassador to the US, a political denying the role of media as a major journalist and currently President of The stakeholder in shaping public opinion. Jinnah Institute. Ms.Moneeza Hashmi, There is also a dire need to teach media President Commonwealth Broadcast ethics to journalists to ensure accurate Association and Mr.Iqbal Khattak, Bureau reporting on working women issues and Chief Daily Times Pakistan, spoke about portraying a positive image.

“Zindagi dukhann dhariyo jhol”“Sadness Defines Life”

Sherry Rehman awarding Nida Fatima Zaidithe first prize in electronic media category

ILO will be holding a second round of the Journalism Awards for the year 2014. The last date for submission in three categories of Labour Reporter of the year, Photo Journalism and best Female Labour Reporter, is February 15th, 2015.

The winners of the 2nd Journalism Awards will be announced for all three categories in March 2015.

th15 February 2015


Zaigham Khan, Civic Action Resources

Aoun Sahi receiving award from Sherry Rehman

Iqbal Khattak receiving an award of appreciation from Saghir Bukhari, ILO

Hiba Siddiqui, ILO, at the award ceremony

A Step In The Right Direction

GE4DE and the Federal Ombudsperson's Secretariat Against Workplace Harassment (FOS) has worked together to orient employers and workers about the law against workplace harassment, and make the process of complaints easier through the establishment of an online complaints mechanism and SMS-based tracking system.

An assessment of results shows that about 80% of the employers and workers the project has worked with, have taken some sort of action to improve their compliance with the Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace Act 2010.

Aoun Sahi, a journalist trained on gender responsive reporting, and one of the best recognised reporters on labour, has written about the issue of workplace harassment and measures to address it in an article that was carried by the News on Sunday on September 21st, 2014.

Though constrained by lack of resources requirements of the act. “Leave alone and outreach, the Federal Ombudsperson private institutions, majority of public Secretariat (FOS) is doing its bit to make sector organisations have not adopted the working women feel secure. code of conduct. Six months back we

wrote letters to all public sector In July 2011, the Federal Ombudsperson organisations asking them to set up Secretariat (FOS) for protection of women inquiry committees. So far, only six of against harassment at the workplace was them responded to our request,” says established at Islamabad. One of the main Shahrukh Abbasi, Deputy Director objectives of the office is to oversee the Communications FOS. “Only two implementation of Protection against provinces, Punjab and Sindh, have Harassment of Women at Workplace Act established offices of provincial 2010 and redress the complaints against ombudspersons.”harassment at workplace.

He says that since its establishment in The Ombudsperson Office, since its 2011, the court of the Federal inception, has been trying to address the Ombudsperson has received 184 cases of issue of sexual harassment at workplace harassment and disposed of 181. A low and to make sure the implementation of number of cases registered does not mean law but lack of resources mars its that harassment and violence against performance. Senior officials at the women exists at a minimal level. Lack of Ombudsperson Secretariat tell TNS that awareness, a complicated system, fear of government has not provided it with funds losing jobs, social taboos, unawareness for research, advocacy or outreach and scarcity of finances are major reasons programmes. behind poor implementation of the law.

The Act makes it mandatory for the Abbasi says that although the law was management of the public and private passed in 2010, lack of awareness among sector organisations to display the code of the public is one of the major challenges conduct at conspicuous places in the towards its effective implementation.organisations and form a three-member inquiry committee to deal with complaints “There is a need to let people know that of sexual harassment. But there has been they have a legal right to raise their voice least development on these two basic against those who make them feel


uncomfortable at their workplace. They Frida Khan, the ILO National Project also need to know about the court of Coordinator for Promoting Gender Equality Federal Ombudsman where they can fight for Decent Employment (GE4DE) Project their cases without a lawyer,” he says, under which FOS is supported, says that adding that overwhelming majority of employers and government need to know women do not complain about harassment how workplace harassment and bad at workplace. “This act is also meant for workplace culture leave a negative effect men as well. So far, we have received on productivity and workplace relations.several complaints from men against

The FOS approached the GE4DE Project harassment at workplace.”for support and after a series of

He admits that the system to lodge consultations, the GE4DE Project helped complaints with FOS till November 2013 them establish their website which also was very complicated. “Especially, in the contains the complaint management provinces, the complainant had to go to information system, through which any the provincial capital to lodge a complaint complainant can lodge a complaint and which was difficult and an expensive get legal relief. Similarly, an SMS based process for the people of far-flung areas,” tracking system of the complaint has also Abbasi says, adding that after a detailed been established. The project has also deliberation the FOS decided to launch an been helping FOS to conduct seminars online complaint system. “FOS had no and awareness campaigns.resources or expertise in this regard, so we

Before supporting FOS, ILO conducted decided to approach donors. International leadership trainings of trade unions, where Labour Organisation (ILO) was quick to all the members were asked to list three respond to our request. It provided us with core problems at the workplace. “Majority resources and expertise and within three of women workers revealed that they faced months we launched online complaint sexual harassment and there was a lack of system. Now the complainant can lodge formal redressal system with easy access,” the complaint directly on the website of she says, adding that it affects women's FOS in both Urdu and English languages right and ability to work. “It affects and is backed by an SMS tracking workplace relationships and the right to system.”

Mr. Francesco d'Ovidio, Country Director ILO, Pakistan, speaking on the occasion

participate with freedom, dignity, security and equality (ILO's pillars).There is a growing demand to have a labour standard specifically for workplace harassment.”

Frida Khan says registration of low number of cases might reflect low incidence. “But we know that the issue is actually quite common, so it is probably more due to lack of awareness and hesitation. But still the number of cases reported and prosecuted in favour of the complainant has been rising. We need to raise the profile of those cases, without naming anyone, to show that the law does work and it does protect the vulnerable and exploited people. And the law is not being abused as a revenge tool as some people fear.” She says that generally women are hesitant to lodge a complaint of harassment at workplace because they do not know the law and the extent of protection that they can get.

Frida Khan is hopeful that steps like online complaints system will help Pakistan fight against sexual harassment at workplace. “Studies have proven that it affects productivity of women workers. Government, employers, trade unions and

civil society need to play their role in ensuring zero tolerance for harassment at workplace.”

Shaheena Kausar, General Secretary of Women Workers Union, terms launch of online complaints system a great success for women workers. “Harassment at workplace is such a big issue. We receive scores of complaints on daily basis.” Kausar, though not happy with the performance of FOS, terms its presence a great achievement for women empowerment in the country. “It is true that there is lack of political will on the part of the government to support it but its existence itself is an achievement.” She says that it is true that overwhelming majority of workers do not have access to internet to lodge complaints but this does not undermine the importance of the process.

Shahrukh Abbasi tells TNS that complainants have already started using online system for redressal of their grievances. “This is an encouraging sign. FOS, with the help of friendly parliamentarians, submitted a reform act 2014 in the parliament seeking coverage of brick-kiln workers and domestic workers under the act and suo-moto powers for the Federal Ombudsperson.”

4 Easy Steps To Launch A Complaint


'This is an excellent example of gender responsive public service delivery and developing institutional mechanisms rather than just one-off interventions'

Mr. Yoshiteru Uramoto, Regional Director ILO Asia Pacific Region, speaking at the launch of the FOS Online Complaints website.

Sindh Parliamentarians Visit Sialkot Home-Based Women Workers The ILO and UNWomen have been proposed in the HBWW policy can be working with provincial governments and realized, GE4DE arranged an exposure other stakeholders to raise awareness of visit for parliamentarians from Sindh to the issues Home-Based Women Workers visit an ILO supported project in Sialkot. (HBWWs) face and how legal protection Baidarie, the organization that is can be extended to them. As a result of implementing ILO's programme, works several years' work, Sindh and Punjab with female home-based workers (who have developed policies and draft were involved in football stitching and legislation for home-based workers and became unemployed when football are now awaiting approval from their manufacturers stopped outsourcing parliaments. football stitching to homeworkers

following incidence of child labour) to To help politicians and parliamentarians help them find alternative avenues of get a better understanding of the on decent employment.ground issues and how the measures

The visiting dignitaries

ILO supported Baidarie in setting up three opportunities. The parliamentarians also visited a local sporting goods factory training cum work centres in the villages where women who were previously of Roras, Korowal, and Mehtpur in Sialkot involved in home-based football stitching to provide alternative skills to HBWWs. had been trained for factory work in The establishment of these centres had decent working conditions. On that the full support of all stakeholders and occasion, Miss Kaweeta told the the local community provided space for parliamentarians that “when she used to setting up each centre. The centres stitch footballs she could hardly earn Rs. became fully operational in June 2014 3000/ month but on the recommendation when GE4DE provided fifteen industrial of Baidarie she now earns Rs. 9000/ stitching machines and local industrialists month in the factory not counting provided both raw material and work overtime”. Kaweeta is a clear example of orders for the home-based workers to how, with the right handholding as was stitch gloves. Simultaneously, Baidarie done by Baidarie in this instance, a with the support of GE4DE built the positive change in the lives of women can

capacity of the HBWWs so they could be brought about to seek not only gainful

establish linkages with industrial units, but also decent work.

take up own account initiatives, set up micro-enterprises and develop their own The parliamentarians appreciated how enterprises such as vegetable and cloth through the GE4DE project alternative shops . livelihood and linkages had been

developed. In his remarks, Advisor to CM The Sialkot exposure visit delegation was Sindh for Labour, Mr Asghar Ali Junejo led by the Advisor for Labour to Chief appreciated the work of GE4DE project Minister Sindh, Mr. Asghar Ali Junejo and and called for immediate legislative action was accompanied by Members of

to give recognition to the home-based Parliament (MPAs): Nusrat Bano Seher,

workers. He also said that they would Naila Munir, Ghazala Siyal, Khairunisa

replicate the Sialkot Baidarie model in Mughal, Rana Anser, Saira Shelani and

Sindh and reiterated his commitment to Shamim Mumtaz. The Secretary of

raising these issues in the Sindh Women Development Department Sindh,

Assembly so as to bring about policy Mr Mudassir Iqbal, was also present. changes and legislation that recognizes the contribution of HBWWs.The parliamentarians visited the training

cum work centres and met with a group of As a result of the visit, the home-based women workers being trained parliamentarians and members of the in alternative skills for generating income. delegation gained insight into the The parliamentarians asked HBWWs demographics and socio-economic various questions, and they in turn conditions of the HBWWs. They also apprised the legislators of the fact that became cognizant of their vulnerability, they had been severely hit by deterioration and the vicious cycle of poverty the in the demand for hand stitched footballs. women workers faced. It became apparent Most women had lost their only source of that at present, HBWWs are invisible and income, leading to extreme poverty and their contributions remain largely eventual unemployment. Furthermore, the unrecognized. Another important outcome lack of alternative skills forced them to was the realization that HBWWs not only take up low paid work.constitute a significant part of the

The parliamentarians also met with the informal economy, but that this untapped President of Sialkot Chamber of segment has immense potential to make Commerce and Industry (SCCI) who huge contributions to Pakistan's economic explained how industry can play an transformation.instrumental role in connecting Home Based Women Workers with better


Home-based Workers' Associations Registered: Three groups of women trained by GE4DE in Charsadda, Skardu and Rahimyar Khan have become registered entities.

# Detail Charsadda Rahimyar Khan Skardu

1

Title of association/ union/ business group

Charsadda Khaddar Makers Association

Zardozi

Bridal Association

K-2 Woollen Shawls

2 Registered as

Association

Society

Business entity

3 Title of Law

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Industrial Relations Act, 2010

Societies

Registration Act. XXI of 1860

SocietiesRegistration Act. XXI of 1860

4Documents required for registration

Basic Information,

List of members, CNICs of members, Constitution, Meeting Minutes,

Official Stamp paper

Basic Information,

List of members, CNICs of members, Constitution,

Official Stamp paper

Basic Information,List of members,CNICs of members,By-laws,Financial Systems,Official Stamp paper

5Title of Office –

responsible for registration

Directorate of Labour, Government of KPK

Registrar, Joint Staff Company, (Dist .

Officer Enterprises and Investment Promotions)

Deputy Commissioner Office, Skardu

6Procedure for registration

Submission of documentsOfficial verification from directorate team

Submission of documentsOfficial verification from Special branch

Submission of By-laws and documents, Verification from Deputy Commission team

7Number of members

8Expected benefits of registration

Improved Visibility; Assurance for involving them in various causes by developing organization; legal identity as Non-GovernmentalOrganization; Benefits to members of standardizing their rates and wages; strengthening of the brand of CFU

Improved Visibility; Assurance for involving them in various causes by developing organization; legal identity as Non-GovernmentalOrganization; Benefits to members of standardizing their rates and wages; strengthening of the brand of CFU

Improved Visibility; Assurance for involving them in various causes by developing organization; strengthening of the brand;Government’s benefits are applicable to the body

60 women, 20 men 70 women 130 women

Listening to presentation

’s

I am a 21 year old woman from a village some 10 kms from the city of Thatta in the Sindh province of Pakistan. Rural areas in Sindh are known for lack of development and conservative attitudes of communities. Women often face the brunt of the customs that restrict women's mobility and it is not uncommon for women to face violence when they cross the boundary set by local customs. This, however, is fast changing. Young women in my area are successfully struggling to bring change and improve their own situation as well as the situation of their communities. I am one example of such change. I have taken training in stitching and enterprise development and now I not only run my own business, but also a community business centre where I have helped many women and men find training opportunities, set up their businesses, improve their lives and stand on their own two feet.

I come from Thatta, one of the most underdeveloped districts in the country and within Thatta, my village is one of the poorest with little education and lacking in basic

Skills in ActionOften viewed as a second-class education, technical and vocational education and training has been subject to image debates for decades. Across the globe, TVET development has suffered from poor investment, quality and relevance. However, in a world where countries are facing high levels of youth unemployment, rapidly changing labour markets, technological advancements, and persistent social inequalities, the important role of TVET is increasingly being recognized. The orientation of TVET towards the world of work and the acquisition of employability skills means it is well placed to address global issues and it also has an important role in promoting sustainable development.

Whether acquired at school or in the workplace, every day people across the globe use their skills to make the world a better place. Unfortunately, there is a lack of practical and insightful evidence on how people worldwide are benefitting from technical and vocational education and training. The stories remain largely untold, which hinders awareness raising and further investments in TVET.

UNEVOC, UNESCO's specialized centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), announced a competition, Skills in Action, to highlight the stories of success, stories of how skills development impacts the lives of individuals and communities. Four people trained by GE4DE submitted their stories to the competition, and whether they won or not, they are a source of inspiration!

February 2015 Skills in Action 24

2nd Prize winner, UNEVOC-TVET Competition

amenities including safe drinking water cosmetician, electrician, livestock and sewerage. Most of the villagers, management and entrepreneurship. I have including my own family, depend on mentored many others to set up their own raising cattle and farm labour for their businesses, by showing them what living. It was quite an achievement for me opportunities exist and giving them the to even pass secondary education as most skills they need to start a business such girls in my village are completely illiterate. as costing, pricing and marketing. However, I was not allowed to go to school

Many of the people I have helped train after class ten and I had to stay at home and establish their businesses would have and help with the housework and looking just carried on with their lives as before. after the cattle. However, I wanted They would have been reluctant to send something more.their daughters into this type of work.

An NGO announced business and They would have just kept them working technical training – Change makers: inside the home, for no money and no business solutions to social problems, recognition. But because people have they called it – and I wanted to take part. seen my success, and they have seen that My family wasn't keen. They didn't think working doesn't bring any harm to women, women should be running businesses; that it instead gives them money and respect was a man's job. But I insisted and got and confidence, they have trusted me to myself registered. The NGO helped guide their daughters too. That means that persuade my family and assure them that 30 families now have more money that I would be safe. they can spend on sending their children

to school, buying them uniforms and Now, I not only run my own stitching school books, going to the doctor and business, but also a community business buying medicines. So, through my centre where I have helped dozens of persuasion and imparting knowledge and other women and men get training and set skills to other girls and families, I have up their own business. I have helped 30 succeeded in improving the situation of women and men get training for stitching, sanitation and livelihood in my

community. When families' situation orders directly from the markets in improves the community's situation Karachi and other major cities for tailoring improves too. and embroidery crafts. Because we have

been trained properly, we can produce to Without the skills I have learnt, I would be the quality people want and we get much forced to live my life under the constraints better prices than before.that are the destiny of a rural woman in my area. I would be without any power Just looking around the village, you can and without the capacity to do any work. see the difference it has made. In the last The skills I have learnt have turned me three years, many mud houses have into an entrepreneur and have enabled me turned into proper houses made with to earn my living independently. I have baked bricks. The village looks cleaner used the training I have in stitching and and more prosperous.enterprise development to set up my own business centre where villagers and I get


Interview and Photos: Zaigham Khan, Civic Action Resources

Nadia’s StoryNothing helps women break these shackles better than learning a skill. This bestows confidence, freedom to enter into the world of work and make a decent I belong to a conservative family that earning. My story elaborates these points migrated from a village in district Kasoor and therefore makes a good example for to Lahore, capital of the Punjab province many women to follow. in hope of improving its economic

situation. Millions of families have moved In 2009 just after I completed my to Lahore in recent times to escape secondary examinations, my mother got poverty and unemployment in Punjab's seriously ill which forced me to villages and small towns, swelling its discontinue my education and stay at population to 8 million. However, without home. In 2011, I succeeded in getting any employable skills, most of them find admission at a government vocational it hard to realize their dreams. My family institute where I studied for a year without also remained trapped in poverty for learning much and their certificate did not decades, barely eking out a living, till I get me any job. In the meantime, the got a chance to learn industrial stitching financial situation of my family and got my first job. This transformed my deteriorated. Our main source of income situation and that of my family. I resolved

to use my skills to help as many young women as I could to follow my example. In less than three years, I have helped hundreds of girls get vocational training.

I think this award will not only be recognition for me and my efforts to improve my situation through learning a skill, but for all men and women in my country who are making an effort to help women participate in economic activity and improve their living standard through learning vocational skills. It will be encouragement for women from conservative families to come out of their homes into the world of work, for the sake of their own wellbeing and the wellbeing of their families and of Pakistan as a whole. A country where women are not fully involved in economic activities is like a person trying to walk on only one leg.

Like most Pakistanis, life has been a struggle for me. Being a woman and coming from a poor background is a kind of double jeopardy. Economic opportunities for women from conservative families are constrained by a gendered division of labour. Through the many customs that restrict their mobility and often confine them to their homes where they are forced to accept their circumstances as God's will, women are unable to reach their full potential.


Nadia supervising the work of trainees

was the small amount we received by determination to use it as a tool for renting out two rooms of our house. It women's economic and social appeared an intractable situation till I empowerment. I have tried to enlist as found about an industrial stitching course many young women to vocational training at Paksitan Readymade Garments as possible. Technical Training institute (PRGTTI) in

I received three month long training at 2012 that was being supported by ILO. PRGTTI campus and then was sent to a This four month long vocational course garment factory for practical work for a has enabled me to transform my life, month where I got employment after the support my family and also guide dozens course finished. PRGTTI, however, invited of other young women into professional me to run a course as Assistant Instructor. life. While it was hard for me to earn Rs. Here I got a chance to train 25 students 3,000(US $30) a month only two years who were mostly women. After their ago, now get Rs. 18,000 (US $180) a course was complete, I negotiated with month. I think I deserve this award the factory to hire them all as a batch and because the skills I learnt have enabled joined the factory with them. In 2014, I me to overcome enormous cultural and returned to PRGTTI to serve as female economic impediments. I have also been coordinator. Now I am based at this able to guide hundreds of young women institute mobilizing young women to step on the path to prosperity with the help of outside the home and get vocational opportunities created through skills training. I also mentor and support women training. studying at this institute.

Though industrial stitching does not leave My training has helped me become much scope for originality, I have put my independent and self-sufficient. It has skills to original use through my

Nadia instructing a worker

also helped me support my family who 1. I took the whole batch I trained to were in dire economic straits. In Pakistan the garment factory and worked where the level of overall unemployment with them till they were settled is very high, it is not very easy for a before returning to PRTTI.woman to get a job. I consider poor

2. I have motivated and supported women in the city of Lahore as my girls in my neighborhood to learn community and I have been able to industrial stitching and get a job.support hundreds of women like me get

into the professional life and get a job 3. I proactively go to the areas where through which they can stand on their

marginalised communities are feet.located such as religious minorities and motivate them to Unfortunately, the garment industry is not get vocational training.very sustainable in terms of environment

at the moment. Efforts are needed to 4. In my capacity as female change this situation starting right from

coordinator, I am a role model for the cotton fields where organic farming women learning at PRGTTI. I needs to be promoted, to factories and guide them and take care of any enlightening the consumer on sustainable issues that may arise from time to practices.time.

I have not limited my training to my personal benefit but have used it to motivate other girls to leave the sanctuary of their homes and join professional life.


Nadia at a garments trade show

Interview and Photos: Zaigham Khan, Civic Action Resources

Salma’s Story further refine our product by engaging designers and master craftsmen from the urban metropolises of Karachi and Lahore to work with rural women, giving them I am a 26 year old needlework access to quality training. embellisher from Dera Jattan, a village

200 kms from the Rahimyar Khan city in The response to training at the Dera Southern Punjab. Despite strong Jattan Zardozi Centre has been resistance from the men in my family, I tremendous: incentives such as a stipend, started the Dera Jattan Embroidery future employment and provision of Project with the help of a local transport has helped motivate women to philanthropic organization. I sought to attend training. From 25 girls in the first upgrade my skills as a young girl who week, the number has risen to 95. One of embellished garments for local tailor the pre-requisites for the trainees is to shops through training in vocational have an identity card and so the project schools in the city, and later engaged with facilitated rural women in getting ID cards high-steet designers like SamanZar and opening bank accounts to transfer working on an ILO-funded skills and their stipend to. These two steps are entreprenuership project. The project has important to address gender needs of managed to marry rural craft to high-street disadvantaged women. This exposure to fashion by creating marketable products opportunities external to our rural milieu for reputable style houses in Karachi and has resulted in women adopting Lahore. By partnering with fashion labels unconventional professions - trainees from like SamanZar and Banto Kazmi, we have the village of Dera Jattan found made it possible to secure skills, savvy themselves producing high end products and employability for rural women. We

for fashion houses in Karachi and Lahore. Karachi that were brought to Dera Jattan Positive externalities such as having stayed on the same premises and master craftsman from an urban urdu- delivered training. It was a different speaking Karachi working with women in a experience for both the trainers and the conservative Punjabi village has allowed trainees as it was the first time the for cross cultural interaction and mutual craftsmen lived in a village, and became a respect and understanding for cultural part of the community. Since the trainers sensitivities. It has blown holes in the were not young men, the community did rural paranoia that men, especially not show much resistance. Rather, both outsiders, are scary and best avoided instructors received much respect from while helping break urban stereotypes that the community. To support every day rural women cannot compete in upmarket operations at the centre, women were metropolitan businesses patronized by an trained to manage the accounts, exclusive clientele. procurement, and management of the

centre.For a rural woman to conceive, let alone initiate, an independent venture involving My attitude towards self-sufficiency is the disadvantaged women in a what sets me apart from others. And not conservative village is a phenomenal leap just for myself, but to find a way to extend of faith. I couldn't have taken it without that aspiration to women in my support from women like my mother who community that are in the same believed in me all along even as I was disadvantaged position as I was. It took divorced, for seeking skills and as little as ten rupees to set me on the empowerment in a patriarchal milieu path to entrepreneurship all those years where the only job for men and women is ago. When I was a child, my father gave cotton farming. And I couldn't have done me ten rupees and I got a needlework it without the help of women like hoop and some yarn. I learnt the basics Shaiyanne Malik of SamanZar and Shama from the women in the neighborhood. We Usman of TRUCE who trusted my ability didn't have money to go to school. Most of to deliver by giving me the skills and my time was spent embroidering clothes exposure, along with the responsibility to for women in the village or my cousins. pass it onto the disadvantaged women of Slowly, as the reputation of my work my village. spread, I started getting work from the

village people who got orders from the When we first started, the response was tailor shops in the town bazaar. I got to slow and suspicious. We only had a few know other women in the village working women coming in to work. But as they at home and sometimes when I couldn't started earning and word got around, do it alone, I would give them work and there was a scramble for training and we pay them. The women in our community ended up taking 95 women instead of 70. never have enough money, and they can't The men who resisted the programme buy clothes or afford three meals a day. ended up bringing their women to the Due to poverty, the people can't get centre. Among the key features of the education and can't get ahead in life. I community in Dera Jattan are early had seen that poverty, I knew their needs. marriages, large families, high illiteracy, I used to get blisters going from my village poor living conditions and rigid cultural Khan Bella to the Dera Jattan to learn.norms. These social conditions are taken into account while mobilizing the My biggest break came early in 2012 community. Women interested in training when I was selected by Shell Tameer for are invited to visit the training centre that the top Social Enterprise Award sponsored is centrally located. The training centre is by the British Council. Shell Tameer works provided furniture, training equipment with partners like SMEDA, the Khushali and raw material. Master craftsmen from Bank and the British Council, among


others, to identify and award young entrepreneurs across the country by providing financial support and technical assistance to help them realize their business plans. The British Council award selected me for the leadership exchange programme to introduce me to best practices in business, preparing to lead and manage Dera Jattan Zardozi effectively. The British Council and Shell Tameer have provided for an IT and English language trainer for a group of girls including myself in the village. The Shell Tameer has also helped me improve and realize my business plan through networking with local partners who can contribute to building my capacity for better management.

I now lead a team of 90 women at the Dera Jattan Zardozi Centre. I aspire to expand the centre to include 200 rural women in the training and work plan. Already, women are branching out on their own, opening little units at homes and elsewhere, supplying directly to the market. The centre will always be there. New women who want to learn will be offered training and market linkages will be provided. All marketing tools have been provided. The project has a facebook page and internet access and training has been provided to these girls.

Our work at Dera Jattan Zardozi project has kept alive a dying craft that has immense potential to help poor local women generate income by introducing its ornate gold and silver thread patterns to urban fashion, especially bridal wear. Ethical fashion is quite the rage among Pakistan's leading designers - ethical fashion aims to empower rural communities and revive dying crafts. From Pulkari made by women in Swat, Chikankari and gotta embroidery made in rural Bahawalpur and the rilli patchwork from villages in Sindh, the traditional crafts practiced in rural communities face extinction due to poverty, lack of support and patronage to sustain them. Leading Pakistani designers like Rizwan Beyg, Deepak Perwani and others have introduced ethical elements in their work, with Perwani working with rural communities in Sindh and Rizwan launching the Ethical Fashion Week - part of a larger,


identical movement working for ethical practices in fashion across Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India.

Zardozi is a very old craft which traditionally has only been done by men, but here is a breakthrough where a hundred girls in our remote village are learning this craft. I have great aspirations for the Dera Jattan centre to become famous for bridal work in Pakistan. Working with SamanZar, we have also rented racks in a store in big cities which carry the brand Dera Jattan Zardozi. Girls are able to join the centre according to their convenience and their training is adjusted accordingly. At any given day, the large airy rooms of the training centre buzz with conversation of women taking a break from their needlework before starting again. The centre continues to train and engage women, some of them earning as much as Rs 8,000 ( $87) for their work. As the girls grow more confident and adept at their work, they take over management of the centre. Although the training programme is open to the entire community, preference is given to the deserving women with a commitment to work after training. Since Dera Jattan is a poor village, it is easy to identify women who could benefit from the training. Girls marry early and domestic violence is common. School girls are encouraged to ensure they continue their education. The project doesn't just help resuscitate the dying art of zardozi, it helps women acquire skills and make money while working at home.

The zardozi work doesn't involve the use of products that are in any way detrimental to the environment. It is a traditional craft involving working with thread and cloth, providing women the opportunity to support their families and themselves. The zardozi project has large prospects for sustainability, driven by the presence of an economic opportunity and community ownership. The project is meant to help a community with a poor economic background but strong commitment to build on an existing opportunity by receiving training and applying it to real economic activity.


Salma standing proudly before a poster of her handiwork

Interview and Photos: Aurangzeb Khan

Sikandar’s Storymy Masters from one of the best universities in Pakistan.

I am determined to introduce to the world I was named Sikandar by my community our social enterprise: CFU (Central elders which is the Urdu variant of the Facilitation Unit). It is being run in one of name 'Alexander'. I opened my eyes in the most remote and difficult areas of extreme poverty. It was not just money Pakistan. Our province is war torn due to issues but social discrimination which I the issues of radicalisation, poverty and hated the most. My people migrated from what not. But I and my team are giving so neighbouring Afghanistan decades ago. much back to our community through the We have always been weavers and came to CFU. This small venture of mine is be known as Jolagaan (cloth people), helping hundreds of women (and men which superseded our original tribal too), in adopting a healthy lifestyle name, Ali Zai. I really like this name but through increased knowledge of in a strictly tribal culture, a whole tribe entrepreneurship, refined skills and being identified from its profession and income earning. not the usual ancestral name, is not easy

to handle. Other tribes take us for being The centre we manage, CFU, is really less honourable due to this mere fact. I turning this all around. We are not only made it my mission to get educated and imparting new skills in designing and change not only my fate, but the fate of weaving, we are also promoting a culture all my fellow villagers. of discussion and dialogue, previously

non-existent in our community. Through Despite low earnings, my parents the formal and informal sessions on managed to enrol me in school. I entrepreneurship, human rights remember my mother used to save coins (highlighting labour rights) and health in an empty glass jar and whenever I tried awareness (especially for women), my to use them to buy sweets, she said these people are learning to learn and re-learn. are for my education, "you will grow up to

be a well-educated man”. It is entirely I think one of the many achievements is due to their efforts that I am now doing the profit margin my CFU is giving. We are


Sikander at his Central Facilitation Unit

generating around 0.1 to 0.2 million PKR combinations and design compositions. I worth of business each day without the bring this thread myself from larger cities. conventional middleman tier. I know this We locally call it 'velvet' which is a thread sounds unhealthy as experts of value that I and my fellow weavers actually take chains would debate that middle man is out of recycled sweaters and dresses. also useful. But what to do with the fact These are used items that we purchase that weavers associated with CFU earn a and do lot of hard work for dismantling net profit of PRK 10,000 (US $100) per these items. Once a good amount of month while previously they used to earn thread is gathered, we reuse it to make not more than PKR 2,000 (US $20) each the earlier explained shawls. On one hand, month. This amount is pure profit as the this conserves new cotton (with trickle- income they generate is over PKR 20,000 down effects on whole value chain) while per month. The lowest earner in our CFU on the other, my weavers save a good is myself (due to my engagement with amount of money out of it. Nothing is communal work, I get less time to weave) hidden. Whole process is transparent and and still I now get PKR 5,000 (US $50) we share the dresses made out of recycled per month. I work almost 6 to 7 hours thread separately. each day and make over 200 shawls each

Similarly every business generates waste month. All of this was made possible only and weaving is no exception. The spindle due to the credibility that CFU generated. or 'Khaddi' used to weave cloth drops

Before my efforts, people did not want to thread-like waste which earlier on, the purchase the products from my weavers used to just brush out of the community. I broke this barrier. It took house. I was the first to experiment with it lots and lots of negotiation and clear and made a beautiful quilt out of this communication. waste (just filling within the quilt). Waste

from 200 to 250 shawls is enough for one Introduction of recycled thread was quilt filling. Reducing investment costs conceived before me However, not a single and recycling contribute to sustainability effort materialized before us. The CFU is of this kind of income generation activity. not only proactively developing products from such thread but also marketing it through innovative and high quality colour

Merchants selling handwoven khaddar in Charsadda

Interview and Photos: Syed Hasan Rizvi, Senior Programme Assistant, GE4DE

ILO'S GE4DE project, in partnership with the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC), has initiated a programme to strengthen the business incubation centres with gender and entrepreneurship expertise in selected HEC universities.

HEC organized a ten day Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop on ILO's globally recognized module, Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB).

Twenty-two trainers and business incubation centre managers from ten HEC universities and four development sector firms that work on business development for women, participated.

The ToT was conducted by the President SIYB Association Sri Lanka, Mr. Gemunu Wijesena who is a Senior Master Trainer on SIYB, along with ILO Senior Programme Officer Ms. Munawar Sultana and Ms. Shahnaz Kapadia, one of Pakistan's leading experts on gender and entrepreneurship.

The ToT focused on developing the knowledge and skills of the participants so they could:

ØEffectively market the SIYB training

ØSelect the customers that can benefit most from SIYB training

ØCarry out a training needs analysis of the selected trainees

ØGroup them according to their needs

The Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) Programme of the International Labour Organization is a practical management-skills training package for small-scale enterprise owners and managers. The program aims to:

ØDevelop small scale managers and enterprise owners

ØFinance, implement, monitor, manage the training

ØSet up a training program at the national level

It encompasses a range of cost-effective and practical training, monitoring and evaluation methodologies/ instruments to meet the management training needs of potential and existing entrepreneurs.

SIYB's Outreach within 15 years:

1. 2,500 plus organizations benefited

2. 100 countries participated

3. 4.5 million trainees

4. 500,000 new businesses created

5. 2.7 million jobs created

6. 40 languages translated to

Probably the BIGGEST Small Enterprise Management Training System in the World!

Start And Improve Your Business: Turning On The Light With Ideas And Training

What is SIYB?


ØConduct Grow Your Business (GYB), Start Your Business (SYB) and Improve Your Business (IYB) training interventions

ØMonitor and evaluate the output and impact of training

ØCarry out follow-up training and counseling activities

ØNetwork with other Business Development Services Organizations

The two-week training programme also focused on integrating the elements of gender and entrepreneurship to address the practical and strategic gender needs that impede women in starting, improving, and growing their businesses. Ms. Shahnaz Kapadia, in her two day session explained basic gender concepts through mapping activities, role play, access to resources and control through decision-making.

At the end of the ToT, the ILO and HEC formally launched SIYB in Pakistan by signing an agreement to support HEC in implementing SIYB in its Business

Ahmed, Chairman HEC and Mr. Francesco Incubation Center. The aim would be to d'Ovidio, Country Director ILO, Pakistan. encourage a culture of entrepreneurship Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Francesco for women and men in Pakistan, thus d'Ovidio emphasized the contribution contributing to sustainable economic women make to the economy, and focused growth and employment generation.on the millions of women involved in small

The agreement was signed by Mr. Mukhtar and medium sized enterprises. He said,


A group exercise at a SIYB Workshop

Participants

"the ILO recognizes these enterprises as Incubation Centres. Through this they will engines of growth and employment, reach hundreds of women and men and especially in developing economies like help them turn their creative business Pakistan's, where jobs in the formal sector ideas into reality.”are limited".??

HEC further welcomed the GE4DE-ILO's Mr. Mukhtar Ahmad, Chairman HEC support to establish this network of thanked the ILO for their support in Business Incubation Centres around strengthening their business incubation Pakistan, saying that universities and centres all around Pakistan with their colleges provided a perfect setting for gender mainstreamed business students to generate business ideas and development expertise. "The trainers that get the support and guidance to turn them have been trained in SIYB and Gender and into real enterprises.Entrepreneurship, will replicate this training in their institutes' Business

ILO Entrepreneurship Modules

SYB – Start Your Business

A five day long training for potential entrepreneurs

with concrete and feasible business ideas. It helps participants to develop business plan on draft

marketing strategy, staff needs, cost of goods and

services, clear idea on licenses and permits

needed, legal forms and forecast of finances. The training is being followed with at least one group

counseling session.

GYB - Generate Your Business Idea

A two-day long materials training programme

customized for potential entrepreneurs to

conduct an entrepreneurial self-assessment, analyze,

develop and select most feasible business idea.

IYB – Improve Your Business

A training programme for existing entrepreneurs to

improve business management through

seven modules: 1) Marketing 2) Buying

Procedures and Stock Control 3) Forecasting of

Sales 4) Producing Balance Sheet and Profit & Loss Statements 5) Costing

6) Keeping Records and 7) Improving Productivity

EYB - Expand Your Business

An integrated ten day long business training for

growth oriented entrepreneurs, consisting

of four modules: 1) Strategic Management 2)

Marketing and Sales Management 3) Human Resources Management

and 4) Financial Management


Discussion during a SIYB Workshop

Instructor delivering the modules

“This has been one of the most unique learning experiences of my life. The training was practical and interactive and we got the chance to deliver individual learning sessions to improve our training techniques”.

Participant, SIYB

Direct Beneficiaries: ?Local business development service

providers?Government ?Employers' Workers Organizations?NGOs?Private sector/ business organizations?Profit-making and non-profit making

organizations

Ultimate Beneficiaries:?Existing and potential small scale

entrepreneurs?Entrepreneurs who want to generate, start,

or improve their own business?Groups excluded from the labour market:

unemployed, low skilled, migrant workers

Vocational Training College Korangi, Karachi has opened up its restaurant, salon and sewing services to the public. The school enterprises were established as part of the skills development and institutional strengthening support to Sindh Technical and Vocational revenue to cover training costs which can run Training Authority. The school enterprises quite high for disciplines like hospitality. The provide girls at the college with real-life café and catering services are the most popular workplace experience and help generate so far.

Students Mean Business

Mr. Gemunu Wijesena delivering the modules

Decent Work for Domestic Workers

What is the current situation What are the major issues of domestic workers in faced by domestic workers?Pakistan?

What is the solution to address the issues?

Studies show that domestic workers face the following issues:

Every day millions of people throughout Ø? Lack of legal protectionPakistan clean other people's homes, cook

their meals and watch over their children. Ø? Exposure to unprotected and The work domestic workers do helps them unhealthy working conditionsprovide for their own families, but also

Ø? Violence and abuse at workfrees other women and men from the drudgery of household work and enables Ø? Absence of formal contractual women in particular, to take part in the arrangementslabour force and in turn contribute to their

Ø? Indefinite working hoursown families' well-being. Despite this doubly productive function, domestic Ø? Unclear terms and conditions of workers are not even recognized as employment'workers'.

Ø? No minimum wage protection and Domestic workers are part of Pakistan's low salaries huge informal economy, estimated to be

Ø? Weak collective bargaining about 73% of the total Pakistani economy.

positionBeing informal and unregulated, workers in the informal economy are not covered Ø? Poor living quarters by labour laws, and therefore remain

Ø? Lack of privacyvulnerable to all forms of exploitation. There are no clear figures of the total Ø? No labour inspection and law number of domestic workers in the enforcementcountry. However, estimates show that

Ø? Forced labour and trafficking of there are about 8.5 million domestic

domestic workersworkers, a vast majority of whom are women, and also include a large number Ø? Exclusion from social safety nets of boys and girls.

Many countries are beginning to reform their policies and laws to include domestic workers. In Pakistan, a draft bill, to be

There is no magic recipe. The problems called the Domestic Workers (Employment posed by domestic workers need a Rights) Act 2013 has been drafted and complementary approach in different was recently presented to the Senate. The domains and at different levels, including:bill carries elaborate provisions on age

restrictions, free labour, contract signing, Ø? Policy development and minimum wages, social security measures legislation to provide recognition, and formation of association or trade coverage and protection to union. This is a welcome step. But in domestic workersorder to really make a difference, we need

Ø? Mobilising and campaigning by a profound change in attitude towards the workers' organizations to organise profession of domestic work. domestic workers and form their associations


Ø? Certified, competency-based skills Convention 189, if ratified by Pakistan, development for domestic workers will enhance the status of domestic

workers and will also reflect well on the Ø? A complaints and grievance

Government of Pakistan as showing its redressal mechanism

commitment to human rights, workers' Ø? Provision of social security rights and the promotion of women's

including Employees Old Age empowerment. Benefit Institution (EOBI) and Punjab Employees Social Security Institution (PESSI)

Ø? Advocacy for the ratification of C189

Women Development Department, Government of the Punjab and the ILO Office for Pakistan have worked with stakeholders to design the comprehensive skills development package, Decent Work

In 2011, the International Labour for Domestic Workers (DW4DW). Organization adopted the Domestic Worker's Convention No. 189. These This skills development programme will standards have helped create a momentum deliver high-quality, benchmarked training for the recognition of domestic workers as in the following areas:workers with rights like any other worker. C189 offers specific protection to domestic workers. The convention has Ü? Communicate effectively in a been ratified by Bolivia, Ecuador, domestic work environment Philippines, South Africa, Italy, Mauritius,

Ü? Maintain health, safety and Germany and Paraguay, with Uruguay security in a domestic work being the first country to ratify the environmentconvention.

Ü? Maintain personal health and The salient features of the convention are: safety

Ø? Promotion and protection of the Ü? Plan, organize and manage own

human rights of all domestic workworkers

Ü? Undertake calculations relevant to Ø? Respect for fundamental domestic work

principles and rights at work, including freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining

Ø? Protection against all forms of abuse, harassment and violence

Ø? Fair terms of employment and decent living conditions

Ø? Reasonable working hours

Ø? Weekly rest of at least 24 consecutive hours

Ø? A limit on in-kind payment

Ø? Clear information on terms and conditions of employment

GE4DE's Contribution

1. Skills Development Programme

C189 - Domestic Workers Convention 2011 (No. 189)

Core Competencies


"The skills training imparted to me has not only helped me to acquire

skills but has also resulted in increased demand and better

wages for my work. I feel empowered as now I can dictate my terms and conditions and can

choose which job I will take".

Sajida, a domestic worker

Domestic Cleaning and Basic 3. Organising and StrengtheningHousekeeping Domestic Workers

4. Policy Development

Workers' Rights

2. Grievance Redressal

Ü? Apply basic cleaning principles to Pakistan Workers Federation is working

perform cleaning taskswith the ILO to organize domestic workers.

Ü? Clean and maintain bedrooms and In January 2015, the first ever Domestic living area Workers Trade Union was registered by the

DOL under the provisions of the Industrial Ü? Clean and maintain bathrooms

Relations Act 2010. The Union has 235 and toilet facilities

members, 225 of whom are women.Ü? Wash clothes, linen and fabrics

Ü? Iron and store laundered items

Ü? Clean and operate basic household equipment

Ü? Cooking and Food Handling

Ü? Clean and maintain food preparation, storage and service areas

Ü? Follow basic food safety practices

Ü? Organize and prepare food in a domestic setting

The ILO is conducting a baseline survey to Ü? Serve food and beverage better understand the situation of

Domestic Workers in Pakistan, the gaps in the law and decent work defined in light of C189, DW Convention. This study will Ü? Labour laws inform the policy development process by

Ü? Basics of a Trade Union all four provinces who have identified DW as a policy priority.Ü? C189

Ü? Advantages of being in a Trade Union

©Women Development Department, Ü? Negotiation Skills

Govt. of Punjab

©? College of Tourism and Hotel Management (COTHM)

Women Development Dept. Punjab is ©? All Pakistan Women's Association

working with All Pakistan Women's (APWA)

Association to develop and pilot a registration, placement and grievance redressal mechanism.

5. Partners

“Joining the Domestic TU inculcates a sense of

solidarity and a feeling that I am not alone and I am linked with and supported by workers

worldwide”.

Shamshad Mary, Vice President of the Domestic Workers Union

Secretary Women Development Department,

Govt. of Punjab addressing at the

DW4DW-MOU signing ceremony.

Infographic: Gender@Work

Source: Labour Force Survey 2012-13

February 2015 Infographic 44

Infographic: Gender@WorkEmployment Distribution by Industry Divisions

%%%%%%%%

%%%%%%%

Employment Distribution by Occupational Groups

Source: Labour Force Survey 2012-13

2012-2013

2012-2013

Haroon Janjua her mother. Abida is a chef at an upscale food joint, a position she has reached after a great degree of personal effort and with a little help from friends, those being the

Returning from her job, 41-year-old Abida oft-maligned 'foreign agencies' some of Malik, swiftly started taking care of her whom are truly turning around the lives of children's needs who had been waiting for the country's marginalized.their mother in a small house in Lahore. Sitting among the scattered books, her 7- There is strong violation of labour laws and year-old child ran to the door to welcome social security nets in Pakistan, primarily

January 09, 2015 Print Edition, Friday Times

Abida at Work

GE4DE has trained a nationwide cadre of reporters on gender responsive reporting. Many of them are emerging as leading reporters in issues of labour, women and work, and some of them have chosen to report on stories from the GE4DE project. Here are two stories that capture the impact of skills development initiatives on a community of weavers in Charsadda and the personal and professional life of a hospitality sector trainee, Abida.

February 2015 Gender Responsive Society: Journalism 46

Gender Responsive Society

regarding female labour work within the informal sector. The International Labour Organization's (ILO) international labour standards dictate a tripartite involvement of labourers, employers and governments to achieve goals such as the creation of work opportunities, income generation,

points. Even then it was difficult for her to stability, rights, the hearing of workers' make ends meet, and her children voices and opportunities for personal remained out of school. Through a stroke development. The Decent Work Agenda is of luck she learnt of an opportunity to get an internationally distinguished framework training from ILO whose agenda is to for poverty reduction and balanced promote gender equality through skill development which provides guidelines for development leading to employment. ILO establishing an economy that promotes offered a chef course that Abida decided investment, skill development, to enrol in.entrepreneurship and sustainable

livelihoods. It recognizes and values the Narrating her story further, she recalls how rights of all workers and employers to a taxing the six month training period was secure and healthy workplace, income without any surety of getting a job in the protection, work-life balance, and access end. “I sold my gold ring, furniture and to healthcare for all. even sewing machine to arrange the fee for

the training course. That was a very These guidelines are rarely ever followed difficult phase of my life. In those days I in Pakistan where the bulk of the poor and did not even have enough money to feed vulnerable work in very difficult conditions my family, but I knew the only way out was for long hours and low wages, while safety to upgrade my skills for a better future. nets and social protection networks are Even after selling my household items I often inadequate or entirely absent. Since had to get a loan to cover my training people cannot afford to be unemployed; expenses. I was deeply worried about the and with no unemployment benefits from education of my children”.the state, they have no choice but to work

in exploitative conditions. Financed by the Canadian International Development Agency, the GE4DE (Gender Abida Malik narrates the story of how her Equality for Decent Employment) is a five-marriage ended and her subsequent year programme that started in July 2010 struggle as a single mother. After her in a push to enhance gender divorce, her ordeal did not end as her mainstreaming through entrepreneurship. father and brothers took over the role of By enlisting workers and guaranteeing dominant male members, calling the shots them skills-improvement to strengthen and in her life.promote sustainable livelihoods, GE4DE has helped many women, says Frida Khan, Through a stroke of luck she learnt of an National Project coordinator of GE4DE, opportunity to get training from ILO.ILO.

Abida's story is, however, not an Command and control over the mobility of uninterrupted cry of pain; she is a living females is one of the key reasons for their testament to what an indomitable spirit vulnerability to poverty and abuse. Skill and a drive to improve one's life can development and entrepreneurship are the achieve. She set out to change her and her ways to ensure they find the strength three children's lives by cooking and within themselves not to be exploited in selling food in different markets near either the domestic or professional sphere.already established roadside mobile food

Abida and a handi!

According to the Pakistan Employment difficult, but it is achievable if the Trends Report on achieving Millennium government, multilateral agencies and Development Goals, roughly six out of ten private sector work hand in hand with employed people in Pakistan are shared objectives and plans.considered to be vulnerable, or “at risk of lacking decent work”. It is recognized that the large share of female vulnerability needs special attention.

Women emancipation, however clichéd it may sound, is what leads to the trajectory of change and development. Poverty alleviation is a long-drawn process and without empowering women and turning them into employable and earning members of the society, our goals of poverty alleviation cannot be substantially accomplished. ILO and other organizations working at the grassroots level are helping achieve this goal. However, the need is to expand the network and deploy more resources to reach out to a wider spectrum of the poverty-stricken population. It may appear

“After training I found a job at

Salt'n'Pepper Village as a chef.

Today, I am proud to be an

important part of the restaurant

management. I finished the ILO

training course with flying

colours and stood second in the

Entrepreneurship and Business

Plan competition. I feel proud that

today I am empowered

and able to earn my livelihood

independently. I feel

passionate and strong being a

mother and a bread winner”.


Tauseef-ur-Rahman “Khadi looks like a simple pattern to December 07, 2014 weave but it takes the whole family to work Print Edition, The News on it,” said Abdur Raziq, a resident of

Sultanabad whose family has been PESHAWAR: Heavy disembodied clicks engaged in the craft for generations.filled the narrow streets. They are ubiquitous in this locality as are the He said their women helped them a lot in machines that generate these clicks. But all the stages from start to finish. “In fact, hardly anyone can see the operators now they have started weaving by behind these wooden machines. And it's themselves,” he added.understandable, they are women.

In June 2011, the Sarhad Rural Support The unseen women operators weave Programme (SRSP), a local organisation ‘khamta’ - the homespun cloth named thus supporting rural development in Pakistan, in Pashto and known as ‘khaddar’ in Urdu started a weaving project for empowerment - inside their homes in Sultanabad village of rural women in Charsadda with ILO's of Umarzai Union Council in Charsadda support.district.

Primarily, Charsadda is known for political legends and reformists like Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan aka Bacha Khan, Haji Sahib of Turangzai, Khan Abdul Wali Khan, Ghani Khan and Hayat Khan Sherpao, to name a few. However, this little town is also famous for its footwear, confectionary made out of locally grown sugarcane and khamta.

Besides Sultanabad, there are other villages like Rajjar and Matta Mughalkhel in Charsadda where entire colonies of busy weavers spin out cloth on handlooms and powerlooms, sealing the place's reputation for some of the best homespun cloth west of Indus.

In Rajjar, people and cloth merchants from all over the country come to buy the local khaddar. In a rural, traditional place like Charsadda, men remain the face of the cottage industry that has some 200 households involved in the weaving business in Sultanabad alone. However, the real force that keeps the looms busy is the women of the community.

Women Weavers Keep Charsadda Cottage Industry Running


The colourful khaddar rolls

Fauzia, a young lady from an old family of now able to earn good money,” Aslam weavers who trained 60 women in said. He expressed his urge to excel in the Utmanzai and Rajjar told The News that field of weaving.earlier women had a small role in weaving

The women workers have developed process. However, after the training most linkages with urban markets and financial of the trainees were able to start up their institutions working to support small own business and the craft spread from a enterprises like the Lok Virsa in Islamabad few families in the village to several more.and Women Business Development Centre

“My father and brother support me and (WBDC) in Peshawar to showcase and find my sister. We want to succeed and also to buyers for products produced by local give a helping hand to our family,” Fauzia women.said. “Before the training I had no idea

“At the Lok Virsa, we exhibited products how to market our product, how to bargain and made good money. Both Lok Virsa and with the shop-owners and even how to find WBDC promised us our own stalls and the material at cheaper price,” she added.shelves at future fairs to showcase our

Khaddi is a labour intensive industry products,” Fauzia said.involving mostly uneducated but highly

However, the local weavers still have skilled weavers who have inherited the issues to be addressed. They need further craft through generations. “Centuries ago training and skills and want to be trained people migrated from Bajaur tribal region for innovative ideas in weaving. and settled in this part of the district

perhaps due to its cotton growing fields,” “Our weavers have best expertise but they said Abdur Rahman, a schoolteacher who lack innovation. The government and also runs handlooms in Sultanabad.NGOs should provide them training and introduce new designs and techniques so Aslam Khan, a trainee who was earlier a that this industry could flourish,” Abdur labourer, said he liked the work as it is Rahman said.inside the four walls of the house and

needed less labour. “I never remained jobless after getting the training and am


A busy woman weaver

Efforts to promote gender equality usually popular programmes. It is therefore focus on employers, employment policies considered appropriate that this and workplace procedures. A parallel programme should be the focus of gender strategy may be to focus gender mainstreaming initiatives. The general mainstreaming interventions on sensitizing management stream which deals with and training aspiring business managers issues related to workers, work studying today to become the managers environment and productivity lends itself and employers of the future. The best way naturally as a candidate for gender to reach this group is through the mainstreaming initiatives. The following curriculum being taught to them, which business courses from the management rarely touches upon gender dimensions. stream are deemed to be relevant in this

regard: The link between gender equality and good business practices needs to be I. Managementemphasized to future managers. Curricula ii. Organisational Behaviourof most business schools typically focus iii. Human Resource Management on the various functional aspects of iv. Leadershipmanaging an organization such as financial management, operations, human resources and strategic management. However, business schools in most cases do not devote the same level of attention to developing students' awareness of and commitment to the transformative power of diversity in leadership, even though this is a key element in further developing leadership capabilities. It is therefore necessary to embed into management courses the value of diverse teams and how to communicate this within an organisation.

Globally, there is no dearth of academic material and curricular content that can promote female leadership in organizations. Some recent initiatives in this regard are given below:

Amongst the management degree programmes, Master of Business Administration (MBA) is one of the most

International Examples Gender Mainstreaming

Practical Initiatives in Universities & Educational Institutions

Empowerment of women in management education –

Rotterdam School of Management Model

Facilitating a higher success rate of female graduates – National Association of Women

MBAs Model

Attracting more female MBA Students – University

of Michigan Business School Model

Promoting gender mainstreaming in schools – Example from Council of

Europe

Educating potential female entrepreneurs – Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women

Initiative

Mainstreaming Gender in Business Curricula Sensitizing the Managers of Tomorrow

February 2015 Gender Responsive Society: Education 51

Keeping in view the local context in students cope with these, would Pakistan (female entrepreneurship, the have a better graduate role of businesswomen in Islam, employment rate and reputationlegislation on sexual harassment at the

Senior managers need to keep workplace, etc.), modules have been

abreast with the developments developed for suggested incorporation in

and challenges, such as the above courses. Modules were designed

increasing sexual harassment ensuring that:

cases and attendant legal Practical advice from successful repercussionsbusinesswomen and entrepreneurs is presented to guide management students

Information on Pakistani laws (and policy changes required by organizations) are listed to inform all students of the state's commitment to gender empowerment

Theoretical concepts are linked to practical examples in a variety of contexts

Where possible, locally relevant material is used, from the Pakistani context as well as based on Islamic tradition, to encourage women participation in the workforce

Business managers should realize that addressing gender concerns is a prerequisite for good business

The benefits that will accrue to the business schools and ultimately the future employers by integration of gender equality into management education are obvious, given that:

Competition has increased and in addition to universities' rankings, the relevance of education imparted is an important factor students consider – this requires an education that is visionary and fit for the global economy

As many female graduates do not participate in the workforce, any university that addresses related challenges and imparts practical information to help female

Ø

Ø

Ø

Ø

Ø

Ø

Ø

Ø


Human Resources Management Module

This module focuses on the following topics:

?Information to enable gender sensitive decision-making and management, including health and safety, employment laws, motivation and productivity of employees.

?An appreciation of the gender dimensions in HRM theories and how these may affect practices, developed in Western settings, in indigenous cultures.

?Understanding differences between male and female employees for effective recruitment, selection, training and performance appraisal.

?An overview of how gender norms contribute to utilization of various leadership styles for various situations and their use to employees advantage.

Organizational Behaviour Module


?Understand how gender dynamics influence individual behaviour and group behaviours in the organizational context.

?Build on OB theories and practices, emphasized by Western texts to analyse implications for male and female staff.

?Look deeper at causes of job dissatisfaction and stress among female staff as well as methods of improving job satisfaction and dealing with stress.

?Appreciate the gendered nature of motivation and leadership and understand their application to workplace.

Introduction to Management Module


?Understand the relevance of the western management principles and theories for local settings, particularly with regards to gender issues.

?Based on the Islamic perspective of managing businesses and organizations, develop an appreciation for the role of women leaders.

?Demonstrate empirical investigative skills by producing an in depth analysis of a management situation usually presented through case studies, resulting in recommendations for a programme of action.

?Recognize the need to take a holistic approach to performance improvement rather than a narrowly functional approach, incorporating concepts about the gendered nature of motivation.

Leadership Module


?Understand the relevance of the western management principles and theories, for local settings, particularly with regards to gender issues.

?Based on the Islamic perspective of managing businesses and organizations, develop an appreciation for the role of women leaders.

?Demonstrate empirical investigative skills by producing an in-depth analysis of a management situation usually presented through case studies, resulting in recommendations for a programme of action.

?Recognize the need to take a holistic approach to performance improvement rather than a narrowly functional approach, incorporating concepts about the gendered nature of motivation.

Comprehensive efforts are required for as EFP and HEC. Such events gender mainstreaming in the business could lend considerable curricula. Implementation of an legitimacy to gender appropriate strategy in this regard requires mainstreaming efforts in Pakistan, a multi-stakeholder approach. It is strengthening the impression that suggested that focus group discussions this agenda is owned by state should be organized with Senior institutionsExecutives/ HR Managers from the market,

e) Promotion of global and regional HR/ Business Forums, Heads of Business linkages; universities and departments and Senior Faculty Members. business schools could be The ultimate purpose of this would be to facilitated to join relevant develop a strategy that all stakeholders international networks and linked agree with in order to mainstream gender to other opportunities (exchange equality in business curricula. As part of visits and internships through the strategy, some suggested organizations such as the British implementation measures could be: Council, US Education

a) Incentivizing schools for adoption Foundation Pakistan, etc.), of gender mainstreaming of their thereby also helping them to build curricula through preferential their brand recognition.hiring of their graduates

Gender diversity is increasingly at the top b) Profiling participating universities of all corporate agendas. The increasing

and sharing experiences through global diversity translates into more newsletters as well as other business opportunities where businesses publications can financially and organizationally

benefit from more diverse leadership c) Organizing recognition/ award styles. Business schools thus have an

ceremonies for institutions who important role to play in the organization take the lead in mainstreaming and running of businesses in the gender in their curricula increasing diverse environment by

developing and sensitizing the future d) Regular informational and business leaders.

exchange workshops under the auspices of relevant forums such


Employers' Federation has completed a have sufficient information about the law series of national workshops to raise and committed to fulfil their responsibility awareness about workplace harassment, as employers under the law. FOS has the Protection against Harassment of concluded over 70 workshops on the same Women at the Workplace Act 2010, and theme with employees from the health, the grievance redressal mechanism banking, manufacturing, education and established by the Federal services sectors. Many of the participants Ombudsperson's Office Against Workplace have gone on to lobby to address Harassment (FOS). workplace harassment in their workplaces.

Best practices of addressing workplace More than 80 percent of participants said harassment, both by employers and that before the workshop, they did not employees, are being compiled.

Zero Tolerance for Workplace Harassment

Punjab Daycare FundThe Punjab Women Development facilities in Kot Lakhpat Industrial Estate Department and ILO have joined hands to has uncovered some harrowing stories of provide working parents high quality day parents who have no choice but to lock up care services throughout the province of their children at home until they return in Punjab. Under the Chief Minister's Women the evening. The study also found some Empowerment Package, 2012 (PWEP) the interesting informal models of childcare Government of Punjab has initiated several such as a group of parents paying a small programmes to improve the socio- fee each to a woman from the economic position of women in the nighbourhood to pick up their children province. One such initiative is the Punjab from school and care for them until the Day Care fund, whereby childcare facilities parents came back from work. This will be developed on a co-finance basis informal childminding model, since it through public-private partnerships seems to work, should be researched throughout Punjab to support working further to see if it can be formalised into a parents. proper structure, as exists in other

countries. The lack of adequate, affordable and safe childcare facilities has been repeatedly The study noted that the increasing identified as a barrier for women, in demand of childcare facilities as a result particular, to work outside the home. of changing household structures and the Though the law, section 33-Q of the dissatisfaction of working parents with Factories Act 1934, requires all factories other traditional means of childcare, could employing more than 50 women to have not be met simply through employer-led childcare available, not many factories facilities. Though employers value women have facilities in place. The law does not employees, many said it was too much of a extend to shops and establishments, such burden to invest in providing childcare as banks, though there are several services, and in many cases it is simply multinationals who have established easier not to employ married women or childcare centres in their premises as a even any women at all!result of their own policy and a desire to

Against this scenario, the Punjab Day Care support and retain employees who might Fund is a welcome and needed initiative to otherwise find it difficult to continue establish childcare facilities in Punjab. working with them. There are several Under this programme, organisations that private childcare services too, but they can are interested in setting up childcare be quite expensive and are not readily facilities can apply for funding from the available. Most working women have to government to cover establishment costs rely on other women's support, either and running costs for a pre-determined maids or family members, or they simply period. Applicants are expected to show drop out of the workforce. how they will become self-sufficient so

For some however, the option to not work they can continue to operate once is simply not possible. For families that government support ends. rely on their very survival on the incomes

The first such centre was opened in the from both parents' work, options are few. Punjab Civil Secretariat for all children of A recent ILO feasibility study for childcare all employees of the Punjab Secretariat. At

February 2015 Gender Responsive Society: Policy 54

first, services were offered without any (covering infrastructure, staffing, space charge but later a fee was introduced etc.) and reporting performas. In addition, which varies according to the salary grade it will also support the childcare experts of the employee though the services are and architects to implement the newly equal for all. Based on this experience, formed childcare standards for one year. It the Punjab government has proposed is expected that this intervention will making this facility a mandatory feature of benefit over 3,000 children and 6,000 all public sector offices, which would parents within the first year alone.include universities, colleges, and

Under ILO's assistance so far, a total of hospitals, if they employ five or more 10 quality-check visits have been females.completed in 5 districts. Those that have

When the first round of the call for met the required criteria have been given applications opened, more than 70 their first instalment to begin establishing organisations submitted expressions of the facilities, which include making up for interest that are currently being reviewed. quality deficits before they can apply for

the second instalment. GE4DE has assisted the Women Development Department Punjab in The Women Development Department and developing a quality assurance GE4DE are now in the process of planning mechanism for the daycare centres that round table discussions with are established under the Fund. Using parliamentarians and other key information from feasibility studies influencers to help raise the profile of this conducted by the ILO for childcare issue and work towards policy changes services and other internationally and getting legislative commitments for accepted benchmarks, GE4DE and WDD the childcare initiative. Punjab developed quality standards

Daycare Centre at DHQ Hospital Faisalabad


Working women in Pakistan usually find Gender Specialist, ILO. Aamir Qawi from themselves leaving work to take care of PANGRO described the findings from children at the onset of their career or feasibility studies conducted in Lahore mid-way due to unavailability of proper and Karachi on providing industry-estate childcare services. Many a times this based, common childcare facilities for period stretches to over a decade, after factory workers through public-private which their previous experience is no partnerships. more relevant or they find it hard to return

A number of recommendations were to the workforce due to lack of updated agreed. Parliamentarians agreed to set up skills. Where formal childcare facilities do a cross-party informal Childcare Advocacy exist, they are often expensive and out of Working Group. They agreed to inspire reach for low-income parents who perhaps their constituents to raise their awareness most need to stay in work and therefore and demand for the child daycare centres most need low-cost, safe facilities. and lobby with employers and other

ILO Convention 111 - Discrimination parliamentarians to support the provision (Employment & Occupation), signed by of childcare centres. Women Pakistan on January 24, 1961, requires Development Department Punjab agreed member states to declare a national policy to undertake a scoping exercise to assess designed to promote equality of and collate information on possible opportunity and treatment with a view to childcare centres partners. Employers eliminating discrimination. Convention agreed to collate existing best practices of 156 - Workers with family responsibilities, childcare provision while workers' states that member states shall take organisations agreed to collect measures to develop/ promote community recommendations from workers in terms services (public/ private), such as of specific needs and gaps in childcare childcare and family services. for working mothers.

GE4DE brought together influential Most importantly, everyone agreed that stakeholders from amongst government, low cost childcare services should be parliament, employers and workers to promoted not as a favour to women, but discuss the issues of safe childcare for as a duty to help working parents exercise working parents. International models of their right to work and earn for their low-cost childcare in developing countries children. were presented by Ms Reiko Tsushima,

Balancing Work and Home Influential stakeholders at the discussion

Women trained by GE4DE on workers' rights, leadership and paralegal skills have led the efforts to form at least three trade unions.

The Bakery Workers Union was registered in Islamabad, and brings together for the first time, bakery workers across the Islamabad Capital Territory. When the President, Fauzia Sabeen Azhar, appeared before the Registrar of the National Industrial Relations Commission to present the papers, he was surprised and said that in his 24 years of work, this was the first time he had come across a woman registering a trade union, and was very happy to see this change!

The Sindh Agriculture and Fishery sector The Domestic Workers' Union was trade union was registered in Karachi in registered in Lahore as part of the December 2014. GE4DE supported project's initiative promoting Decent Work gender mainstreamed labour law review for Domestic Workers. Under this and as a result, Sindh became the first initiative, GE4DE is working with Women's province to extend labour laws to Development Department Punjab and agriculture and fishery sector workers. Pakistan Workers' Federation to train Once they were recognized as workers domestic workers on employer - endorsed under law, the natural next step was for competency standards. It is also the project to support them in organizing facilitating placement services, including and registering as a trade union. There are piloting an employment contract, currently more than 400 members, more extending social protection schemes and than half of whom, including the organising into trade unions. The trade Chairperson Rafia Gulani, are women. union has 235 members of which 225 are

women, including the President, Maimoona Komal and the Vice President, Shamshad Mary.

Some of the GE4DE trained trade union members successfully advocated for the passage of the Punjab Reproductive, Maternal, Neo-natal and Childcare Authority Bill by the Punjab Assembly. This Bill means that lady health workers, lady health supervisors and all support staff who were working on temporary contracts after devolution, have become permanent employees. This is a massive breakthrough to ensure job security and the benefits of permanent employment, particularly for women.

Organising the Unorganised


President Domestic Workers Union addressing the tripartite meeting

Office-bearers at the SAFWA formation ceremony

Design for Social ChangeThe GE4DE project participated in a five Pakistan by arranging a technical session day workshop on 'Design for Human on the issues of gender equality and the Rights: Balancing Genders' held at the world of work. University of Karachi. The initiative,

The first day opened with a debate on funded by the Norwegian Government, is a gender equality where Dr. Salman Asif, collaboration between the University of former Gender Advisor for the United Karachi and the international graphic Nations in Pakistan, introduced the design project, Poster 4 Tomorrow. students to the theme of gender equality

Poster 4 Tomorrow is an independent, and its importance in the professional non-profit organization based in Paris world. This was followed by the screening whose goal is to encourage people in and of SHALI, a short film about child outside the design community to make marriage, written by Attiya Dawood. Hervé posters to stimulate debate on issues that Matine, the founder of Poster 4 Tomorrow affect us all. The workshop has already ended the day with a presentation on been held in Morocco, Botswana and 'Design for Human Rights Goals.' India. Future workshops are planned in

The workshop aimed to shape other developing countries including communication tools which could not only Senegal, Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon, prove useful to civil society organisations Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina.active in female empowerment but could

GE4DE supported the workshop in also be relevant to the general public.

Design for Social ChangeThis workshop is part of a series of information from the discussions on workshops held around the world with the gender equality to design posters. goal to promote democratic values, raise

At the end of the workshop the posters human rights awareness and especially were displayed in a small exhibition at the focus on promoting women's rights.University of Karachi. These will

Poster 4 Tomorrow works with civil society eventually be part of a bigger exhibition organisations and communication designed by the participants (from the 10 specialists to help develop effective chosen countries) to be held at the end of communication tools that can convey the the year at the Poster 4 Tomorrow critical issues of women empowerment, headquarters in Paris. gender equality and human rights to the

Furthermore, ILO- GE4DE aims to general public.acknowledge the work of the participants

On subsequent days, students in promoting gender equality by printing brainstormed ideas and produced poster the posters as postcards. designs based on the outcomes of the opening debate.The participants used the

“One poster is a start, but one hundred, one thousand, constitute a movement that can't be denied. A poster can make somebody sit up and take notice of an injustice and

inspire them to take action. And that's what we hope to do – to try and stop injustice.”

Hervé Matine, founder of Poster Tomorrow

February 2015 Gender Responsive Society: Awareness 60

Guests at the Poster Exhibition

Some of the winning posters from around the world

February 2015 Gender Responsive Society: Awareness 61

Mid-Term EvaluationGE4DE had its mid-term evaluation with, by and large, positive results. The evaluation methodology comprised a mix of site visits and observations, telephone and face-to-face interviews, discussion groups, desk-based research of existing reports and secondary data, a national stakeholders' workshop and meetings with the project team, ILO and CIDA.

This report gives an objective-wise assessment of progress:

Objective 1

Strengthening national mechanisms to promote equal employment opportunities for women

Project achievements are demonstrated in the formation and capacity development of the five Gender Units in the provincial labour departments. At the policy level the project success is established by the work done on Home- Based Workers policy which is being approved by the Punjab government and is under review by other provinces. Some provinces have integrated gender in most of the labour laws and some have been approved by the provincial legislature.

There are major changes in the work done with the DOLs where attitudinal changes in the approaches of government are evident. The project has developed a gender labour inspection toolkit which breaks the conventional gender-blind labour inspection approach. The implementation of the toolkit is in a nascent phase so there are some reservations on its usage which requires further discussion with the labour departments. The Pakistan Workers Federation (PWF) is making inroads by mobilizing trade unions to form women's committees and has carried out training on gender equality at workplace for 50 organizations culminating in action plans and follow-up, and is working on the review of gender policy.

February 2015 Mid-Term Evaluation 62

Objective 2

Enhancing skills and employability of poor women in rural and urban areas of selected districts

The skills development component has achieved more than half of its targets of training out of which 80 percent have been employed. The project target is 6300 beneficiaries and at the time of MTE it had reached 3268 plus (200 indirect women beneficiaries); the male female ratio has been 20/80 percent in most cases. The project has successfully used ILO’s TREE methodology in the urban sectors and in breaking stereotypes by skilling women to join unconventional occupations like hospitality, ancient knots, online earning and new, more marketable patterns in the hand-woven cloth cottage industry.

The project is ensuring women's workers' rights in the informal sector through registration of HBWs and the formation of trade unions. Using the approach of training of trainers, developing competency-based standards for vocational skills, mobilization of communities and bringing on board public sector training institutes like STVETA and MINTEX, the project has in principle set the ground for sustainability. The post-training report highlights that most of the trainees of the completed training are employed; they have enhanced mobility, more confidence, are contributing to family income and can pay school fees, etc.

Objective 3

Strengthening capacity of media to raise awareness on issues related to working women

The project has worked towards enabling gender responsive reporting into a wider journalistic skills training programme targeting 700 journalists from print and electronic media (in 35 districts all over Pakistan) of which 331 have completed training. The project aims, through the pool of master trainers it has trained, to take the training to next level in Mass Communication/ Journalism departments of selected universities by training 300 students.

The project has also conducted a series of policy level dialogues with senior representatives of national and regional level media organizations. This resulted in 150 policy level representatives to agree on a declaration unanimously signed to promote gender sensitive reporting in their respective organizations. A high quality newsletter produced under the project with an Urdu version, a documentary developed called 'Women of Courage', and advocacy materials such as posters and calendars are the key achievements.

February 2015 Mid-Term Evaluation 63

Photo Credits: “Happiness in my eyes” by Ghulam Rasool, a freelance photographer,one of the winning entries in GE4DE’s Photography Competition 2010

Promoting Gender Equality for Decent Employment · access to equal employment work through training...

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